﻿510 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [HTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  children, 
  the 
  eldest 
  two 
  wen- 
  boys, 
  the 
  third 
  was 
  a 
  girl, 
  and 
  the 
  youngest 
  a 
  boy 
  — 
  all 
  

   of 
  them 
  healthy 
  and 
  well 
  formed. 
  The 
  wife 
  set 
  before 
  their 
  guest 
  deer 
  meat 
  and 
  beans 
  

   cooked 
  with 
  raccoon 
  fat. 
  He 
  ate, 
  and 
  talked 
  with 
  the 
  family, 
  then 
  he 
  returned 
  thanks 
  

   to 
  them 
  and 
  left 
  . 
  Soon 
  he 
  departed 
  from 
  the 
  village 
  and 
  was 
  heard 
  of 
  no 
  more 
  all 
  that 
  

   summer 
  or 
  the 
  following 
  winter. 
  When 
  sprint: 
  came 
  the 
  stranger 
  again 
  appeared, 
  

   and 
  was 
  treated 
  with 
  honor 
  by 
  the 
  chiefs 
  and 
  Leading 
  men. 
  And 
  again 
  the 
  woman 
  

   took 
  the 
  initiative 
  in 
  inviting 
  the 
  stranger 
  to 
  her 
  lodge, 
  and 
  again 
  the 
  chief 
  questioned 
  the 
  

   son 
  who 
  brought 
  the 
  invitation: 
  "Did 
  your 
  father 
  send 
  you?" 
  The 
  hoy 
  again 
  answered 
  

   "Yes." 
  The 
  stranger 
  responded 
  as 
  before. 
  He 
  returned 
  his 
  thanks, 
  but 
  he 
  gave 
  no 
  

   explanation 
  of 
  himself, 
  and 
  departed. 
  Another 
  year 
  passed 
  and 
  the 
  spring 
  came, 
  and 
  

   so 
  diil 
  the 
  stranger. 
  ( 
  hire 
  more 
  the 
  son 
  earried 
  the 
  invitation 
  and 
  the 
  chief 
  asked 
  the 
  

   same 
  question 
  and 
  received 
  the 
  same 
  answer. 
  The 
  stranger 
  came, 
  partook 
  of 
  the 
  hos- 
  

   pital 
  it) 
  offered, 
  and 
  departed, 
  leaving 
  the 
  man 
  and 
  his 
  wife 
  in 
  ignorance 
  as 
  to 
  who 
  and 
  

   what 
  tie 
  was. 
  Nor 
  did 
  anyone 
  know 
  aught 
  of 
  the 
  stranger. 
  The 
  fourth 
  spring 
  eame, 
  

   and 
  so 
  did 
  the 
  stranger, 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  invitation 
  was 
  extended, 
  to 
  l>e 
  questioned 
  by 
  the 
  

   chief 
  and 
  answered 
  by 
  the 
  Lad 
  as 
  We 
  fore. 
  The 
  stranger 
  was 
  received 
  as 
  he 
  had 
  been 
  for 
  

   three 
  years; 
  but 
  now 
  as 
  he 
  made 
  his 
  thanks 
  he 
  said: 
  "I 
  am 
  a 
  being 
  of 
  mysteries. 
  I 
  

   have 
  been 
  seeking 
  for 
  the 
  proper 
  persons 
  whom 
  I 
  may 
  instruct 
  in 
  the 
  knowledge 
  of 
  

   these 
  mysteries. 
  You 
  have 
  shown 
  an 
  interest 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  I 
  have 
  to 
  bring, 
  for 
  this 
  knowl- 
  

   edge 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  those 
  who 
  seek 
  for 
  it. 
  You 
  have 
  lour 
  times 
  entertained 
  

   meat 
  the 
  proper 
  season. 
  1 
  have 
  observed 
  you. 
  and 
  am 
  satisfied 
  that 
  you 
  are 
  the 
  onet 
  

   to 
  receive 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  mysteries. 
  Everything 
  now 
  is 
  in 
  readiness 
  for 
  me 
  to 
  fulfil] 
  

   my 
  purpose. 
  It 
  is 
  now 
  the 
  time 
  when 
  the 
  people 
  go 
  away 
  to 
  hunt. 
  I 
  wish 
  you 
  to 
  

   stay 
  where 
  you 
  are. 
  After 
  the 
  people 
  have 
  gone, 
  then 
  we 
  will 
  travel 
  for 
  a 
  season. 
  

   During 
  that 
  time 
  1 
  shall 
  teach 
  you 
  of 
  these 
  mysteries. 
  1 
  shall 
  expect 
  a 
  return 
  from 
  

   you. 
  What 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  I 
  will 
  make 
  known 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  time." 
  

  

  The 
  tribe 
  moved 
  oft' 
  to 
  hunt, 
  and 
  the 
  man 
  and 
  his 
  wife 
  and 
  the 
  stranger 
  remained 
  

   behind. 
  At 
  night, 
  as 
  they 
  all 
  lay 
  down 
  to 
  sleep, 
  the 
  father 
  kept 
  wondering 
  about 
  the 
  

   stranger, 
  and 
  lay 
  awake 
  watching 
  him. 
  The 
  stranger 
  pretended 
  to 
  sleep, 
  bill 
  he, 
  too, 
  

   watched. 
  When 
  the 
  morning 
  came 
  the 
  stranger 
  arose, 
  went 
  for 
  water, 
  returned 
  with 
  

   it 
  and 
  gave 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  children 
  to 
  drink, 
  and 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  father 
  and 
  mother. 
  Tlien 
  he 
  

   Combed 
  the 
  children's 
  hair 
  and 
  washed 
  them. 
  These 
  actions 
  perplexed 
  the 
  parents, 
  

   but 
  the 
  stranger 
  remained 
  silent 
  as 
  to 
  his 
  motives. 
  The 
  next 
  day 
  after 
  the 
  tribe 
  had 
  

   gone 
  the 
  stranger 
  bade 
  the 
  father 
  and 
  mother 
  make 
  ready 
  to 
  move, 
  and 
  they 
  all 
  did 
  

   so. 
  going 
  whither 
  the 
  stranger 
  direeted. 
  As 
  they 
  traveled, 
  the 
  stranger 
  pointed 
  out 
  

   the 
  different 
  trees, 
  told 
  of 
  their 
  fruits, 
  and 
  also 
  of 
  the 
  herbs 
  and 
  roots 
  that 
  were 
  good 
  

   for 
  food 
  and 
  those 
  that 
  were 
  good 
  for 
  medicinal 
  purposes, 
  and 
  bade 
  the 
  couple 
  observe 
  

   and 
  remember 
  them. 
  The 
  stranger 
  said 
  to 
  the 
  man: 
  "You 
  an- 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  

   place 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  side 
  of 
  that 
  stream 
  where 
  there 
  are 
  scattered 
  elm 
  trees, 
  thickets, 
  

   and 
  vines 
  of 
  wild 
  beans, 
  and 
  look 
  about 
  and 
  see 
  if 
  there 
  are 
  any 
  animal-. 
  " 
  The 
  man 
  

   stalled 
  off, 
  as 
  he 
  was 
  directed, 
  and 
  when 
  he 
  reached 
  the 
  place 
  he 
  saw 
  a 
  deer. 
  Taking 
  

   aim, 
  ho 
  shot 
  it. 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  young 
  buck 
  about 
  4 
  years 
  old. 
  He 
  looked 
  about 
  and 
  saw 
  

   other 
  deer, 
  lie 
  killed 
  12, 
  making 
  L3 
  in 
  all. 
  IK 
  drew 
  the 
  carcasses 
  to 
  a 
  place 
  where 
  

   In- 
  could 
  camp, 
  and 
  started 
  back 
  for 
  his 
  family. 
  On 
  the 
  way 
  he 
  met 
  his 
  wife 
  and 
  

   three 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  and 
  the 
  stranger, 
  who 
  was 
  carrying 
  the 
  youngest 
  on 
  his 
  back. 
  

  

  When 
  they 
  reached 
  camp, 
  the 
  stranger 
  told 
  the 
  man 
  to 
  mast 
  four 
  shoulders. 
  When 
  

   this 
  was 
  done, 
  he 
  gave 
  a 
  shoulder 
  to 
  each 
  child 
  and 
  another 
  cut 
  to 
  the 
  father 
  and 
  

   mother, 
  and 
  bade 
  that 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  meat 
  be 
  dried 
  before 
  the 
  lire 
  and 
  then 
  cached. 
  

   In 
  tlu> 
  morning 
  the 
  stranger 
  went 
  for 
  water, 
  as 
  before, 
  gave 
  them 
  all 
  to 
  drink: 
  then 
  he 
  

   combed 
  the 
  hair 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  and 
  washed 
  them, 
  tec 
  the 
  great 
  perplexity 
  of 
  the 
  

   father 
  and 
  motlier. 
  

  

  The- 
  stranger 
  told 
  the 
  man 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  a 
  place 
  where 
  there 
  were 
  sand 
  hills 
  and 
  scat- 
  

   tered 
  cottonwood 
  trees 
  and 
  see 
  if 
  there 
  were 
  animals 
  there. 
  The 
  man 
  went, 
  and 
  as 
  

  

  